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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24005473">Campfire</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilberFelx/pseuds/SilberFelx'>SilberFelx</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, F/M, Short, idk how to describe this I just started writing and this happened</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:33:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,308</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24005473</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilberFelx/pseuds/SilberFelx</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lysithea wakes up in complete darkness.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edelgard von Hresvelg &amp; Lysithea von Ordelia, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Claude von Riegan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Campfire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Lysithea woke up again, everything around her was black.</p><p>It wasn't the natural darkness of night, it was something deeper, but somehow less unsettling. She slowly stood up, the surface beneath her simultaneously hard and soft, cold and warm.</p><p>She looked around, blinking to make sure her eyes were in fact open and the all-swallowing darkness wasn't simply her staring at her eyelids.</p><p>However, it appeared that there truly was nothing to light up the darkness. When Lysithea tried conjuring a flame, she couldn't feel the familiar flow of magic through her veins, and though she didn't miss her artificial crests burning power into her soul, the absence of it all proved to be puzzling.</p><p>Just as she thought about choosing a random direction to go in, she noticed something in the distance. It looked like the flame of a torch, soft orange glow flickering and being swallowed up by more darkness in the end, but it had found her. She knew she hadn't missed this, it had only shown up now, and she couldn't shake the feeling it had a purpose.</p><p>So she took the invitation and approached the light.</p><p>---------------------------------------</p><p>After walking for what seemed like an eternity, the flame that led her here turned out to be a campfire, the flames lashing out as if it were alive and asking her to come closer. The fireplace was surrounded by a few roughly-made benches, but what really stood out was a lady sitting on one of them, crimson robes hiding her body, and even with her hair down and the imperial crown laying by her side, broken in two, she had an aura of regality surrounding her.</p><p>Edelgard.</p><p>She looked up at Lysithea and smiled softly, truly smiled, her eyes lighting up and the air of superiority quickly vanishing.</p><p>"To think the Goddess would still grant me this blessing..."</p><p>Lysithea looked back at her, before returning the smile hesitatingly. It felt foreign on her face; she had spent the last few... days? Weeks? Months? of her life trying to give her parents the peaceful life they deserved after everything that had happened to them. She truly hoped she had succeeded.</p><p>Sitting down, she took in Edelgard's state more. She was drinking tea - Bergamot, judging by how familiar the smell was - and though the material the robes were made of looked costly and extravagant, the clothes themselves were simple. She had never seen such non noble clothing on the Empress, and yet it fit her, the image joining her picture of Edelgard in complete harmony.</p><p>The silver-white hair similarly was not put into any restrictive hair style, it simply flowed down her form, building a beautiful contrast against the robes with her pale skin. Edelgard noticed her gaze and answered it with another smile, before putting her hand in the fire. Lysithea started, but Edelgard's face kept calm, no pain apparent as she pulled her hand out again - unharmed - bringing with it a tea kettle smelling of sweet tea.</p><p>Lysithea looked at her confused, while a tea cup was shoved into her hands and Edelgard filled it with her favorite tea. She gave the sugar to her before her face fell.</p><p>"You have come here much too soon."</p><p>The small girl shivered at how vulnerable Edelgard sounded, or rather how vulnerable the Empress allowed herself to sound.</p><p>"I wish you didn't have to suffer so much."</p><p>At that, Lysithea got angry.</p><p>"Don't say that, Edelgard. You and I both know you have suffered as well, and neither of us could prevent it! Wasn't it you who was so bent on moving on from the past?"</p><p>Edelgard could only stare at her for a moment, and then, to Lysithea's dismay, she started giggling, no, she was laughing; a full belly laugh, and though Lysithea wanted to be mad, the sound made her happy.</p><p>That didn't stop her from being annoyed at the reaction though.</p><p>"Hey, that wasn't meant to be funny! What are you laughing at?! I was being serious, you know!"</p><p>Edelgard wiped a few tears from her eyes.</p><p>"Of course, my- my apologies." She was still snickering a bit, but Lysithea decided to let it slide, so she simply crossed her arms and pouted.</p><p>"You are, as always, much wiser than people might think." Edelgard's smile seemed to light up the darkness a bit. "Still, I hope the Goddess will be more kind to you in the next life."</p><p>Lysithea frowned. "What about you? Don't you hope for a better life too?"</p><p>"I have lost my faith in the goddess long ago", Edelgard replied. "To return to her now would be foolish. And she has already shown me that I do not deserve her kindness."</p><p>"What do you mean by that?"</p><p>Again, Edelgard's smile slowly fell. "When I had arrived here, these robes had been white."</p><p>Lysithea swallowed. </p><p>The Empress slowly pulled back her sleeves.</p><p>Blood was pouring out of every scar she had hidden underneath the clothing. The small mage felt a wave of nausea hitting her and lowered her gaze before becoming stubborn and looking directly into Edelgard's eyes.</p><p>"I do not believe this is a punishment from the goddess for losing faith or attacking the church", she stated matter-of-factly. "We have both talked to the professor and from what they have told us, she would never be this cruel."</p><p>Edelgard squirmed slightly, clearly in discomfort. But Lysithea wouldn't have it.</p><p>"You know what I think the problem is? The problem is that you can't accept yourself. From the very day you have decided to become the villain to create a better future, you have always condemned yourself. And I don't want that. Even if people think you are a horrible person, even if people look at you in disgust..." Angry tears started forming in her eyes. "You are an inspiration to many. And you are my hero. You are... You are like a mother to me."</p><p>Edelgard looked at her, mouth slightly agape, clearly not believing what she was hearing. Even more annoyed, Lysithea simply threw herself at her and hugged her deeply, not wanting to let go of the only person who had ever truly understood her.</p><p>"She's right, you know."</p><p>At the familiar voice, both of the girls looked up.</p><p>It was Claude, non-chalant as usual, walking towards them as if there was nothing wrong with the world.</p><p>Edelgard let out an amused sigh. "You certainly have a knack for timing, schemer."</p><p>Claude grinned. "And you love it just like you love me, princess. Or, more accurately, Empress now. I guess that makes Lysithea the princess then."</p><p>Lysithea groaned. "Claude, I swear to the goddess, if you keep this up I will destroy you."</p><p>"Oh, so the little girl is running to her mama because papa is being mean to her?"</p><p>"Yes, and then papa will have to kiss mama as an apology for making trouble."</p><p>She watched gleefully as their brains imploded. The two lovebirds had been annoying her her whole life with their secrecy and trying to not cause a scandal by falling in love with the heir of another nation instead of using the time they had. Now, however, they were free of their duties and could enjoy their time together before being reborn. And Lysithea was here to make sure they didn't waste their precious time again.</p><p>"Mom, Dad, the others are probably waiting for us", she told them. They immediately shot up, blushing even more, and simply nodded, turning away from each other. Lysithea could only grin at the opportunity to tease the two like they had been teasing her for so long, as well as bringing the two together - finally.</p><p>And maybe, just maybe, it felt kind of nice to allow herself to be a child again after her childhood had been cut so short.</p>
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